Rabat – Spanish authorities announced on Saturday that they will install a floating barrier near the sea wall separating Morocco from occupied Ceuta, following the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants into the territory this week.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, most of the migrants—primarily young Moroccan men seeking employment—have already left the city. By late Friday afternoon, at least 48,300 of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people who entered Ceuta from Morocco had returned, with hundreds more departing overnight.
A spokesperson for Spain’s government in Ceuta said at least 67 people died in recent days while attempting to reach the enclave.
During a visit to Ceuta on Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain would deploy buoys to create “a containment barrier, a physical barrier, if only a visual one,” aimed at strengthening border security. He said the measure would also comply with a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that authorities say was misinterpreted and contributed to the surge.
Sánchez accused human trafficking networks of spreading misleading information about the ruling, which stated that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be immediately returned unless they had crossed a physical border barrier while attempting to enter Spanish territory.
The Interior Ministry said the new structure will consist of a 500-meter inflatable barrier extending up to one meter below the water’s surface. It will be reinforced by an additional line of anchored buoys supplied by the Spanish Navy.
Opposition leaders criticized the plan, arguing it would not adequately secure the border. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the conservative Popular Party, said, “You don’t secure a border by putting buoys in the sea.”
Although the majority of migrants have already left Ceuta, uncertainty remains over those still in the city. On Friday evening, Spanish police urged migrants to return, with most complying while others attempted to avoid officers.
Tensions also rose as groups of local residents confronted migrants in the city center. According to reports, a group of young Spanish men gathered in Plaza de los Reyes on Friday night, shouting slogans including “To Morocco!” and “Long live Spain!” while chasing several migrants and forcing others to leave the area, nearly triggering clashes.
